“Leaving them unattended, even momentarily, is long enough for a fire to develop.

“The first line of defence against any fire is having a working smoke alarm.

“Getting that early warning to a developing fire is a proven life-saver.

“It also means that damage to your property can be kept to a minimum.

“Every home should have one.”

West Sussex Fire Rescue issued guidance on what to do if a pan catches fire.

A spokesperson said: “Never use water on a chip pan fire, this could cause a potentially lethal fireball; do not move it; turn off the heat if it’s safe to do so; do not use a fire extinguisher on a pan of oil and do not try and tackle a fire, get out and call 999.”